TWO PINK ROSES

When I think back to my childhood I can't remember being fed by my mother although I know she did feed me. I can remember her sitting down at the sewing machine and sewing clothes for me and for my dolls.  I can remember just a few months ago I took her flowers and there were two roses mixed with other varieties.  My mother looked at the two roses and said, “Rita, those two roses are me and you.”  As the end comes for our parents it seems that memories are all that we have left.  My mother has been diagnosed with Aortic Stenosis and the only cure is open-heart surgery.  However, she is too week from a blood infection so she cannot have the surgery.  At the hospital she told the doctors she did not want to have open heart surgery so I guess in a way, she also had a say in the decision.  All the same, it is very difficult to see her health decline each day.  

She now lies in her hospital bed with the care of Hospice and barely speaks.  She looks at me with deep concentration when I go to see her.  Yesterday she stared at me for the longest time so I looked back at her.  A few minutes into the deep concentration I ask her what she was thinking.  She said in a very slow voice "you are pretty".  As I felt a tear roll down my face I reminded her that I looked like her and that she was beautiful.  She smiled a little.  She then went back to sleep.  Tonight as I fed her meal to her I realized this is another memory to cherish.  She will not be with us much longer so it is imperative to cherish all the past memories as well as the future ones with her.  I may not remember my mother feeding me as a child but I will always remember feeding her as an adult.  

MY MOM'S GUIDANCE

ORIGINAL POST 5/14/2011 ON MY MON'S GUIDANCE BLOG

So, Lets talk about Moms!

I think we all have many moms in our lives, for me, a birth mom, a stepmom, a mom-in-law and even a grandmother who filled in at times. Each of my moms has had different impacts on my life. We will start with my birth mom.

She brought me into this world, which was a great miracle for her. You see, before bringing me into this world, she had lost two others. My brother and sister, born a year apart, both died after birth. This was so traumatic for her; she developed a condition called paranoid schizophrenia. Over my life, there were many times she was unable to care for me. As a teenager I felt like I missed out on things other girls were doing. Although she could not do for me things other mothers could do, she taught me how to understand others. I learned from her what today helps me understand people who have mental disabilities.

God sent me my stepmom when I was a young teenager. She came alone when I needed a mom during the teen years. She was the one who helped me in the most vulnerable days of dating. She was the one who made sure we went to the beach each year. She was the one who took me to pick out the prom dress and sat with me as we waited on my first date to arrive. She helped me through my wedding and the birth of my children. Without her, I am not sure where I would have been today.

Then there is my mom-in-law. She is the mom who is always there. She cooks lunch ever Sunday for us. She puts on the big Christmas for us. She keeps her grandchildren and goes on trips with us. She is the glue that holds our family together. I am truly blessed by her love and care for our family.

My precious grandmother had a huge impact on me. Actually she was the one who brought the discipline. No, she didn’t have to actually spank me, but she taught me the values that I live by today. She brought out the bible and taught me to live by it. Even today, when things come into my life that would not benefit me, my grandmother’s words come to me and give me guidance. I truly miss her now that she is in Heaven, but I know I will see her again one-day.

Now I am a mom. Not only do I have the privilege of being the mom of two great children, I am blessed to be a mom to many children through foster care. I feel like all the moms in my life have had a great impact. I hope I have learned something from all of my moms to help me become a better "Mom".

I am blessed beyond measure and I don’t take it for granted. I love them all and thank God for what He has done for me.

Meet my birth mom..........Edith.  This picture was taken about three years ago.

Kure Beach Trip August 2011

Hello.......hope you are doing well.

I am posting about my family's beach trip today.  It was super fun and we enjoyed our time together.  We have 18 family members that eat together every Sunday at Mawmaw Patty's house.  All of these people went to the beach!  We are very blessed to have such a family.  During our 10 day stay we enjoyed many activities such as going to the fair and the aquarium.  Brookley tried surfing and did very well.  Clifton loved fishing from the pier so he spent a good amount of time there.  We had a cookout one evening and it was fun.  The pool and beach was great.  I spent more time at the beach than the pool this year.  I had to study for finals during this trip but it was okay since I did not have many responsibilities.  My kids are older now so they could handle themselves.  They are very responsible so I did not have to worry about them either.  One evening after dinner Brookley played her guitar on the beach.  A crowd always gathers when she plays and sings.  We visited the Army store, the old jail house, walked the streets of Wilmington, and shopped like we were on vacation.  Haha we were on vacation!  It was a wonderful trip.  Here are some of my memories to share.

Irons In The Fire

 My Grandma Hoppes used to ask me if I had too many irons in the fire.  I always wondered what she meant and today I think I have figured it out.  I was looking over my desk at the office and noticed I had about ten projects going at the same time.  I immediately thought about my grandma’s words.  “Rita, do you have too many irons in the fire”.  I laughed and wondered how she could be so far away and so close at the same time.  I just love her!

            When I look at my life, I see all the “irons” I have in the fire.  I see my husband, my children, my foster children…past and present, my job at the church, my quest to achieve my BA then MA in Psychology and my health and exercise plan that I choose to take on to stay healthy.  But, most of all, I see my Father in Heaven.  Just to know that when I get so busy with life that He sends down a loving reminder of my Grandmother to bless my day. 

            Well Grandma, 13 years later I still have many irons in the fire and I believe they are all a part of the vision that God has placed in my heart.  My vision is to have a healthy marriage, strong confident children, safe and loved foster children, to be a blessing in the church and to complete a degree that will open doors to helping people in the future.  I believe my vision is blessings sent from generations of family who have worked hard to exalt others.  Thank you Grandma for blessing me so many times in life and even still today. 

            I am very thankful for all the opportunities in my life that keep my irons in the fire and so thankful for the support of my family and friends. 

College Update!

Okay, so it seems like I have been in school forever!  Really it has been a little over two years and that is not terrible.  I do enjoy college ...... learning all the neat stuff about the different schools of thought and how the brain works and all those people who have developed theories and such.  Wow, that sentence sounds educated, huh?  Well, anyway, I completed the AA degree in psychology and I am in the BA program now.  I love it so much!  However, it is sometimes difficult with everything else going on.  But I will continue on and complete this degree!  Here is one of my graduation pictures.  : )

I Just Love the Biltmore House!

Each year Brookley, Clifton and I go to the Biltmore House for home school day. Not only do you see the house and gardens there are plenty of crafts to get involved with. Clifton loves working with his hands and was able to make tin plates, candles and pottery. We hiked out to the barn where we petted all kinds of farm animals. We had a wonderful lunch at the Stable Café then had ice cream in the park. This is a yearly trip for us, and one I would not want to miss. Brookley graduated this year from high school but Clifton has six more years to go. I know these six years will fly by so I hope to spend as much time with him as possible. Brookley plans to stay home for a couple more years to go to the local college. She doesn’t want to give up our trips either so she is going with us on our home school trips. I am glad for I will truly miss my children when they grow up and move on in life. I am completely blessed to be the mother of two beautiful children. They are beyond doubt a blessing to me.

A Day In Mt. Mitchell

We spent the day at Mt. Mitchell in September 2010. It was around 40 degrees. It even started to drizzle some. We were all shivering but it was fun. The views over the mountains were breathtaking. I love spending time in the clean air. When I am stressed, the mountains are where I want to be. There is just something calming about fresh air, trees, mountains, and the hot chocolate they sell there. It has been about a year since we took this trip so I think it is time to go back. Hmmm, think I will plan it for September 2011. : }